Glasses Not Required
by RT4ever
Summary: Monica doesn't need glasses this year to be happy. The Q's.
1. Chapter 1

My Christmas is delayed. This felt like coming out. If people like it, I'll continue it.

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***Glasses Not Required**

She knew she was dreaming when she walked down still in her robe to the living room. She had woken up Christmas morning and she had wanted to see the tree Alice had spent hours decorating. She wanted to see the tree in the same spot it always was. The spot AJ and Jason had dove into every year until they went off to school. The place Dawn would readjust the ornaments, lost in a house entirely too big for her. Where Emily would rearrange the presents until they looked perfect. Where Alan used to shake his presents when he thought no one was looking.

She woke up having to see the tree.

To see her lost family.

She wasn't surprised as she saw AJ examining a train car, sitting on the floor next to a sea of presents.

She wasn't surprised as he looked up with a smile. He had aged in this dream. She liked it. She had wanted him so badly to grow old. To grow into himself.

She simply smiled at him as he said her name and quickly stood up.

She felt his warm, strong arms around her, AJ had been a hugger, he had needed the reassurance they so often failed to give him, "I missed you so much Mom."

"I missed you too, my sweet boy," she could have died in her sleep she realized and she'd be happy. If she had her baby boy back…Anything was worth that.

"You aren't furious at me?" he chuckled against her.

She pulled back to look at him, "I love you, more than anything else in this world. I'm sorry, I couldn't…" _no she could have, _"I wasn't the mother you needed."

His brow fell, "You were always the mother I needed. You're the only mother I ever wanted." Light eyes promised her that he would always be a Mama's Boy, her boy.

"Merry Christmas AJ," she said lifting a hand to his cheek, to touch his warmth.

"Merry Christmas Mom," his lips twitched up, "you know you're supposed to be a lot angrier at me," he chuckled.

She laughed back.

"What in God's name," Edward exclaimed moments later.

_Of course Edward would interrupt her dream, he interrupted everything else. _She was almost sad she wasn't dead. "Go away Edward, I'm having a moment with my son."

"He's supposed to be in the mausoleum," Edward's face had turned white.

"Merry Christmas to you too Grandfather. Think you can at least try to act happy to see me because I not only come bearing ELQ's money, but great-grandchildren."

"Great-grandchildren?" The thought of that appeased Edward, distracted him from the impossibility of that. Rebecca was impossible too though. Emily's twin, a place his beloved granddaughter would always live on.

"Two soundly sleeping upstairs," AJ promised.

"This is turning into a very odd dream," Monica muttered to herself and walked away from the conflict, her son was less interesting involved in a fight with Edward.

AJ chuckled again, "Mom?"

"I wouldn't know if I'd call this a dream," Edward said under his breath.

AJ followed after his mother, "It's me, Mom," he said turning her back to him, "I'm here, I'm fine. I'd say call Jason so he could confirm, but I'm not entirely sure he won't kill me when he finds out I ignored his, "Stay Gone" order."

"That hoodlum did what?"

"Considering it was my girlfriend that got Michael kidnapped, I could see why he'd be angry, so you probably shouldn't hold that against him," he replied as if he was speaking of everyday occurrences.

"The house is too large to fill with carbon monoxide right?" Edward questioned Monica.

"Is he really here?" Monica questioned back.

"Brenda's upstairs too, she kept the kids up on the plane ride so they'd sleep in," he nodded.

"Bren-" the name died on Monica's lips.

"I need to sit down," Edward and Monica sad in unison.

"Come on," AJ smiled, "it's going to be great. We're going to have a great Christmas because I'm probably going to be arrested tomorrow."

Monica let out a loud breath.

"You at least never told anyone about the money right Grandfather? So they'll have to let me out eventually because I swear I was not at all involved with that whole kidnapping scheme. Lydia was just seriously pissed off I took our daughter and only gave her a million. Trust me, Jason would not have let me live if I'd been involved."

The room remained silent as Monica sat on the couch and Edward in an armchair.

"Mom?" AJ questioned after a moment, worried he'd given his mother a stroke.

"I need a drink," she creaked out.

* * *

**Soooo…..**


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, look at me go tonight. Olympics did wonders for me completing nearly completed things.

Btw I have no idea how I feel about this story. I don't even have any idea where I'm supposed to take it....Really should have thought it through before I posted that little blurb. :-P

Thanks for reading!

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"Mom?" AJ prompted his mother again, crouching next to her, really hoping he hadn't given her a stroke.

"Just give me a moment," she weakly responded. She couldn't believe he was alright again, how many dreams had she awoken devastated from. Alan had been the same. She had even found Emily in his old room a time or two.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She weakly smiled at him; his faults had been a reflection of her actions. She had helped create the man he had become; she couldn't hate him because of them. Maybe she even loved him more because of them because she had failed him so.

"About everything. Dad and Emily."

Another weak smile at him, she gently cupped his cheek.

"I'm sorry about Grandmother, Grandfather," he said not turning to look at the man who had always been first to condemn him, remind him, he would never be as good as Jason or Ned, even Justus.

"As well you should be," Edward was quick to respond. "Where are these alleged great-grandchildren?"

AJ recovered from the flinch only his mother saw, but Brenda was the one who responded, "Still sleeping."

"Brenda," Edward automatically smiled and stood. "I'm hoping you have something resembling a good argument for-"

"Merry Christmas Edward," she smiled and hugged him before he could continue any further.

"Am I really to believe that Jason is alright with AJ raising his son?"

"What?!" Monica snapped back to life. Brenda's son, was Jax's son, everyone knew that, it's why he was so rarely discussed outside of their house.

"He does not know that Grandfather," AJ swiftly stood, "if and when he ever finds out, that's for me and Brenda to decide."

"I thought Marcus was Jax's son," Monica's mind repeated_, that had always been the topic hinted at, why Jax could never know Brenda had a child. _

"That was Lila wanted us to think," Edward looked back with obvious disdain, over the cover-up, in his eyes, "however the amount of photos Lila had of Marcus and Reginald's year long stay in Rome after Lila's death. It didn't take a genius to figure it out."

"Good-"

"AJ!" Brenda snapped at her husband. He didn't even feign being contrite. "You didn't tell anyone right?"

"Of course not, I merely adjusted my will."

"You never thought to tell me, I had a grandson?" Monica queried with contempt.

"I will not risk another member of this family to Jason's life, I had little doubt you wouldn't rush off and inform Jason, for the small hope that he would actually accept you into his life. I can only hope that you'll use common sense now and direct your mothering to that one, lord knows he could use it."

"Jason knows, so it doesn't matter what Mom tells him," AJ bluntly informed his grandfather.

"Jason actually agreed with your opinion," Brenda simply told Edward, there had been more to the story, but that was all he needed to know. "I told him," she shrugged, "almost four years ago."

"Jason found me in Greece a few months later actually," AJ added.

"That reminds me, what's this about a granddaughter?"

"Rayna Dawn," AJ's lips automatically twitched up, "you're going to love her Mom."

"Dawn's totally perfect," Brenda smiled as well.

"Dawn?" Monica's voice barely a whisper.

"Seemed kind of fitting," AJ shrugged.

Tears welled up in Monica's eyes as she remembered her first lost child, she had lost Dawn twice, but now AJ was giving her, Dawn's niece, her namesake. "Thank you," she once more whispered.

"I suggest you start explaining everything now young man, so I can make my final decision as to whether or not I turn you over to the police or Corinthos."

-o-o-O-o-o-

Monica was once more seated on the sofa in shock as AJ concluded his story, Brenda having long since left to make sure the children didn't stumble upon them. It began with AJ paying off Lydia for their daughter, and when she returned looking for more AJ had taken off with Dawn, he had kept the first name Lydia had given their daughter, but never used it. For Dawn's eyes had remained her aunt's perfect shade of blue and she was a new start for him, a start for him to be someone of importance, at least to her. He had turned over a new leaf for her, she was his dawn.

He hadn't been sure of the specifics of Lydia's actions, but he was sure Jason knew. He didn't know if she was looking for him to reappear so she could reclaim her daughter and/or claim the funds AJ had stolen or if she had expected his doppelganger to bleed the Quartermaines dry. AJ had merely went silent when questioned about Asher Thomas, she had almost hoped that had been a lie somehow, but it seemed she wasn't that lucky.

AJ explained that Jason had found him shortly after his memory had been restored by Robin and Patrick, he had shown up without warning and had left as abruptly after telling AJ to never return to Port Charles.

_"I don't know," he shook his head, "it was weird. I expected Jason to find me for years and then when he did…" his eyes narrowed. "I don't know. He told me it was my last chance and to stay away from Michael and Port Charles. That AJ Quartermaine was dead and that he was going to stay that way."_

Monica had found it odd though, how quickly AJ had leapt to his brother's defense when Edward had begun to bash him. She found it odd once again, when she was told that Jason had been the one to tell Brenda that AJ was still alive after Alan's death and asked her to go to him, instead of returning to Port Charles. A recovering alcoholic would have needed support.

She had always envied the strength it must have taken Brenda to remain abroad for the sake of her child, she had often wished the moment Dawn had found her, that she had taken her child and fled to her others. Now though, she had missed her grandson's life in order for him to be protected against his father's life.

_"Why now AJ?" Edward questioned._

_"They're Quartermaines as much as I don't want to be one, they're Quartermaines and I can't keep asking them to live the life I want…They'll just end up hating me, the way I hated you. I don't think I could survive seeing that look in their eyes."_

"They're perfect," Monica whispered as walked into the guest bedroom Brenda and AJ had settled the kids into.

"They certainly are something," Edward agreed in awe, glad AJ and Brenda had both gone off to shower.

"He looks just like AJ," her hushed tones conveying that amazing fact she had never noticed until now, as she looked at him in a new light. Her sons had similar structuring, combining Brenda with Jason, Jason's son appearing to have his brother's coloring.

"He is a handsome boy, all Quartmaine men are," Edward automatically smugly replied. "She looks just like you."

Monica sighed looking at her granddaughter, the blonde curls… "It's the perfect name for her."

"I won't press charges," Edward said dryly.

Monica let out a small smile, "I figured." Great-grandchildren wouldn't buy AJ into his good favor, but it certainly bought him a get out of jail free card.

"I need to make some calls, buy a toy store if I have to," Edward nodded.

"Don't spoil them Edward."

"That is what you're worried about today?"

She laughed at him, "Just today."

"Are you coming?" he asked as he began to walk away.

She shook her head, "I think I'll just stay here with them."

He smiled at her.

She sat and watched her grandchildren sleep as she often had with their fathers, getting home too late; to do anything aside from giving their sleeping heads a kiss. She would be different this time though; she would be there when they awoke.


End file.
